A smooth transition

Haillie Vanderlinden ’22, ’24 MA-MFT knew she wanted to be a therapist early on, which made Mount Mercy University’s MMU Plus program the perfect fit for her.

All of Haillie’s life, she’s been kind, caring, a helper, and has worn her heart on her sleeve. Knowing what Haillie wanted to be when she grew up wasn’t a challenging task for her, but instead, the choice seemed natural.

“I always knew I wanted to become a Marriage and Family Therapist, so I chose Mount Mercy University to help with a seamless transition between my undergraduate and graduate program,” said Haillie.

MMU Plus allowed Haillie to take graduate courses during her undergraduate studies. This provided Haillie with not only a smooth transition in the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Program, but also a welcoming program, helpful advisors, and a cohort community.

“I like that everyone can lean on each other for support since it’s a little community,” said Haillie.

Haillie has put what she’s learned to work, including volunteering on National Coming Out Day. She provided a non-judgmental ear to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“It was awesome to be able to discuss what different gender-affirming conversations look like,” said Haillie. “It was refreshing to see everyone come together and to see people be curious.”

She has also been able to practice applying her therapeutic techniques as a Student Therapist at the Olson Marriage & Family Therapy Clinic. She helps clients with coping skills for processing grief in hour-long weekly or biweekly sessions.

Haillie's undergraduate psychology courses prepared her to adjust therapeutic styles per client to help her provide the best service possible. The program also provided her with a sound support system.

“Although I didn’t live on campus during my undergrad, I still made a ton of great friends,” said Haillie.

Through her MA-MFT courses, Haillie has gained many vital attributes, such as learning how to be adaptable and flexible, how to learn fast, and how to earn more connections with friends.

“I’ve gained a quicker understanding of concepts within the program,” said Haillie. “I learned that it’s okay to ask questions”

Alongside her relationships with classmates, Haillie made connections with influential professors. Some of those professors are Dr. Heather Morgan-Sowada, Dr. Anthony Mielke, and Dr. Douglas McPhee.

“They were all kind, professional, and caring,” said Haillie. “They provided me guidance in a way that I felt I could ask questions and lean on them without any judgment.”

The MMU Plus program was a huge deciding factor for Haillie when choosing Mount Mercy because she felt that it was a good stepping stone toward her long-term plan of being a therapist.

“It was an opportunity to get me ahead in the graduate program,” said Haillie.

Some advice Haillie wants current Marriage & Family Therapy students to hear is that it is essential to lean on family, friends, cohort members, and people you care about for the support you need.

“It’s okay not to be okay,” said Haillie. “Every good therapist has a therapist.”

As for students looking into MMU Plus, Haillie wants you to know that for her, “there were no negatives, just a ton of benefits.” She also wants students to do their own research to see what works for them—and if that is MMU Plus, don’t be afraid to take the jump because it’s worth it.